Retano Solutions announces the launch of Retano CatMan, a revolutionary category management system powered by Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Designed to help retailers move from rigid, template-driven assortments to dynamic, data-driven decision-making, Retano CatMan enables hyper-localized product strategies tailored to each store’s unique demand patterns.
The Challenge: One-Size-Fits-All Assortments Are Costing Retailers Billions
Today, when consumer preferences shift rapidly, many retailers still rely on outdated, hierarchical category management methods. This leads to inefficiencies: overstocked non-performers and stockouts of high-demand items. IHL Group’s 2023 study, Inventory Distortion: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, estimates that global retailers will lose approximately $1.77 trillion due to inventory distortion—comprising both out-of-stocks and overstocks.
Traditional approaches fail to account for local variations—store location, customer demographics, and purchasing behaviors—resulting in lost sales, excess waste, and missed opportunities.
The Solution: AI-Driven, Store-Level Assortment Optimization
Retano CatMan leverages advanced machine learning (ML) to analyze hundreds of store-specific variables—from foot traffic and local trends to basket analysis and seasonality—automatically clustering stores into micro-segments.
Key features include:
- Smart Store Clustering: ML algorithms group stores by real-time performance metrics, ensuring assortments align with local demand.
- SKU-Level Profitability Analysis: Identify underperformers, predict emerging trends, and optimize the assortment with AI-powered recommendations.
- Reduced Waste & Higher Margins: Minimize overstocks and stockouts, cutting losses from markdowns and spoilage.
- Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Stock what shoppers actually want, boosting loyalty and repeat purchases.
Antonio Mininni
Chief of Implementation Department of Retano Solutions
“The future of retail isn’t just automation — it’s intelligent automation. And nowhere is this more critical than in assortment planning. Traditional segmentation by store format — hypermarket, supermarket, convenience, or discounter — simply doesn’t reflect the real purchasing behavior of today’s customers. Even store location is no longer enough. To build assortments that truly sell, retailers must go deeper — analyzing customer preferences, local competition, and behavioral patterns. Retano CatMan empowers retailers to create data-driven assortments that are not just relevant, but profitable — store by store.”
